3 Places to Find Free Moving Boxes

Anyone who’s ever moved knows the costs can add up quickly. Not only do you have to buy packing and storage materials, but other costs such as utility deposits and travel can wreak havoc on your budget. Savvy movers want to cut costs wherever they can. Here’s where to find free moving boxes so you can spend your money on something else.

1. Start with your inner circle.

You never know who may have something you need, including boxes. Contact your friends and family via email and Facebook, said Kendal Perez, a blogger at HassleFreeSavings.com. If you know of someone who recently moved, check with him or her directly to see whether the moving boxes already have been tossed.

2. Check around town.

Once you’ve checked with your personal network, expand your search to local businesses. Grocery and liquor stores are a good place to start. Other companies — perhaps even your own employer — receive supplies and equipment in boxes all the time. They may be willing to give away some of those boxes if you just ask for them. Chat with the person who receives deliveries at local businesses and let them know you need boxes, Perez said. The earlier you contact a business, the more boxes you may get. “You can collect them weekly leading up to your move,” she said.

3. Look on the web.

The Internet boasts many options for free boxes. One great place to look is Freecycle.org, said Stephen Bok, a professional organizer in the Washington, DC, area. The site aims to benefit the environment by keeping trash — including boxes — out of landfills. Once you finish moving, return the favor, and give the boxes to someone else. After all, you don’t want to keep them since “storing boxes and paper is a big mold-and-pest magnet,” Bok said.

Another place to look online is Craigslist, according to Perez. Sure, it lists items for sale, but the site also features free stuff. “Click the ‘free’ link in your local Craigslist and search for ‘moving boxes,’” Perez said. In addition to people looking to get rid of boxes, many local retailers offer boxes for free on Craigslist to avoid the hassle of breaking them down and recycling them.

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